


Last Chance

by CaramelKruze



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Dadza, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, I will update character tags as more characters appear, Its mentioned a few times and will be in future chapters, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Redemption, Regret, Swearing, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:15:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29876886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaramelKruze/pseuds/CaramelKruze
Summary: Dream has been in prison for almost three months now.He wants to believe that he's changed.He wants to have the opportunity to change.Philza is willing to help him get one last chance.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Sam | Awesamdude, Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 167





	1. Trust

When Dream first came up with the idea for the prison, he never considered that he would be the one to end up trapped within it. 

When he told Sam he wanted it to be inescapable, he didn’t realize that he was sealing his own fate. The prison was, in fact, inescapable. As much as he wanted to believe that he would get out one day, he had to admit that was never going to happen. Not without help, at least. Right now, he was alone. Completely and utterly alone. 

Sam had also altered the designs for the prison slightly. 

Dream’s ideas were a bit more kind. His ideas involved windows, at the least; some way for natural air and light to reach the cell. 

Sam created an airtight box that even Dream found the slightest bit inhumane. He wondered, for a while, if Sam had made those decisions knowing that it would be Dream. The walls were pure obsidian, ensuring that the light from the lava didn’t reflect, leaving the room in a permanent state of almost darkness. It was also terribly small. Dream had never been claustrophobic before, but after spending time in this small room that was always stuffy and warm due to the lava that surrounded it, he knew he would never be able to step foot in a basement or shed again without feeling his heart beat just a little bit faster. Sleep didn’t come easy in there either. The constant sounds of the guardians were loud enough to cause Dream to jolt awake each time he had almost finally drifted off, and the heat from the lava made the already uncomfortable bed even more unbearable. Dream was lucky if he managed to get more than an hour of sleep at one time, and almost every time it was because his body had given out and he succumbed to pure exhaustion, slumped against one of the prison cell walls.

At least there were things in the cell itself that helped make it feel at least somewhat bearable. There was a collection of books and quills which Dream hadn’t used much of yet. When he did write, it couldn’t hold his attention for long, often growing too frustrated and crushing the quill. He had been tallying the days in one of the books for a while, but eventually watching the clock grew to be so monotonous that he had given up. It didn’t matter how long he had been there anyways. He wasn’t leaving, so why keep track. 

In another book, he had kept track of people visiting him, but as time went on that book grew dusty with neglect. He didn’t know why he even expected anyone to visit him, to be honest. George had never come to see him, Sapnap hadn’t come to see him, the only person he ever saw anymore was Sam. 

Sam was civil to Dream at first. That was unfortunately not the case anymore. 

It was about two months into his sentence, that Sam had confronted him one day while he was delivering a new clock to the cell to replace the one that Dream had thrown into the lava. 

_ ‘I know what you did to Tommy.’  _ Sam had said. The mask he wore hid his mouth, but the eyes that Dream could see sent a chill down his spine. He had thought Sam was going to kill him right that moment, and Dream was certain that was exactly what Sam had wanted to do, and he almost did. 

He didn’t though, but he was a lot less kind to Dream after. There were times where Sam would take a bit longer to deliver food. Dream was never certain about how long because he had developed a habit of destroying his clock every chance he got, but he knew it was far longer than before by the way his stomach would growl and how much weaker he felt each time. 

Dream had made a promise to himself a long time ago that he would never show any sign of weakness, but now he couldn’t help the flinch he would give when Sam walked into the room and approached him. Given the constant withholding of food and isolation in such a small room, Dream had grown so frail that Sam could probably snap any of his bones with ease. 

He had still worn his mask when he first got to the prison, but it was long gone now. He felt vulnerable without it. The mask was the one thing keeping him at a safe distance from the prying eyes of others. It was the one thing keeping his emotions to himself; and Sam had taken it for that exact reason. Had ripped it off him by force so he could see the fear in his eyes that day he came in to talk about Tommy; so he could see the tears in his eyes as he begged Sam for forgiveness. Even though he had been so lonely, after that day, he had found so much more comfort in being alone and had begun to dread seeing the lava retreat to reveal the doorway to his cell. 

Dream knew he had done a lot of fucked up things. And he regretted a lot of them. He had never really meant to hurt anyone. He had just been upset. He was just trying to protect himself and the others. He wanted to make the server safe and he had thought he was doing the right thing. He knew he had fucked up, and the more time he spent in the tiny cell with nothing but the books, clock, and his own thoughts, the more he had come to accept that he deserved it all. 

He hadn’t always thought like that though. 

When Dream had first come to the prison, he had been livid. He had been so incredibly angry that he had wanted to hurt all the people who he had once called his friends. That anger was just a way to hide his fear. He had been angry because he didn’t want to admit that he had fucked up. 

The sound of the lava retreating used to be a welcome thing. Now, when he heard it, he found himself in the corner of the cell, attempting to make himself look small. Maybe Sam would pity him this once and leave him alone after he dropped off the food. 

But when he looked over the entrance of the cell, he realized it wasn’t just Sam. 

Standing beside the warden, was the winged man he had come to know shortly before getting thrown into prison. Out of all the people that could have visited him, Dream couldn’t think of any reason why it would be Philza. 

“Call for me when you’re done with him,” Sam said before he turned back around and the lava descended again behind him. 

Dream felt his heart racing. 

What did Philza want with him? Had he heard about what he did to Tommy? Was he here to hurt him just as Sam had done when he had found out? Even though he didn’t know Philza well, he didn’t think he was the type of person to do that, but Dream still couldn’t stop his hands from shaking when Philza took a step closer. 

“Sorry it’s been so long. Sam had been turning people away from visiting for the past month and a half, otherwise, I would have visited a while ago.” Philza sounded so genuine, and Dream was so unused to such kind tones being used towards him that it made him feel uneasy. 

Sam had been turning away visitors. Had it just been Phil trying to visit him? Or were there others that were turned away too? Did the others know about what he had done to Tommy? Did Sam tell them once he found out? He wasn’t sure if he actually wanted to know the answers to any of those questions or not. 

“How have you been doing then? Write any books yet?” Philza asked, trying to get Dream to say something. 

Dream couldn’t seem to speak. Every time he tried, his throat would tighten and his voice would die in his throat. His heart was pounding so loud he could barely hear Philza at all. Now was one of the times he would have appreciated having his mask. 

“You used to be a lot more talkative. What’s up, mate?” 

Dream couldn’t even meet his eyes. All he could do was desperately try to still his shaking hands so that Phil couldn’t see how terrified he was. 

Phil moved again, and Dream jumped, ready to raise his arms defensively, turning his head towards him quickly only to see that it was just Phil sitting down. Dream was confused. He had sat against the wall near the front of the cell, far away from Dream, giving him more space. With Phil sitting down, he figured the chances of Phil hurting him were closer to none. It helped calm him down just a bit. 

“Just haven’t had anyone to talk to in a while…” Dream said. It was the first time he had spoken in months, and Phil could definitely tell. It felt weird finally talking after being silent for so long, his voice was soft and scratchy from misuse. 

Phil looked at him, and Dream couldn’t tell if it was with pity or not. 

Dream was still standing. Part of him still wanted to get as far away from Phil as possible, but another part longed to be closer. He wanted to feel safe in his presence, but he just couldn’t bring himself to trust him. He had trusted people before, and that was exactly what got him in here in the first place. 

He remembered the last time he had seen Sapnap. He was one of the people tasked with bringing Dream to the prison. He remembered his vice-like grip on Dream's arm that left small bruises for a week, anger and disappointment emanating from him as he and Punz threw him into the cell. That first week had been absolute hell, and Dream shook his head trying to clear the memory. 

“Why are you visiting me?” Dream asked, “Not that I don’t appreciate it, I do, it’s just that I- I don’t understand,” he quickly added. 

Phil smiled, and Dream realized that this was the safest he had felt in a long time. 

“I figured you would appreciate someone to talk to or at the least have someone to hang out with for a bit. Can’t be too nice in here being alone all the time. Sam isn’t the best conversationalist.” If Philza saw how Dream flinched at the mention of Sam and the way his eyes quickly darted to the lava, he didn’t say anything. Dream took another minute to calm his breathing once again. Philza was still sitting down, wings neatly tucked behind him. It made him look a lot less threatening than Dream had remembered him looking before. Right now, he looked so calm and welcoming. 

“Thank you.” Dream finally let the tension fall out of his shoulders a little bit and slowly lowered himself to sit on the floor like Philza had been doing. Dream kept an eye on him, still not trusting him completely, but Philza stayed where he was with his back pressed against the wall. 

They stayed like that for a while. Dream was content to sit in silence with Phil, who had closed his eyes and was resting his head against the wall. Dream wondered if he had fallen asleep for a moment. 

The idea that Philza would fall asleep in the same room as Dream was so odd to him. Everyone else had been so scared of Dream before. Everyone seemed to think that Dream was dangerous and not to be trusted by the time they had thrown him into the prison. But here Phil was, sitting just a mere four feet away from Dream, eyes closed, and completely calm. 

* * *

Some time passed, and Dream found himself tiredly rubbing at his eyes and yawning. He must have fallen asleep while Philza was visiting. Looking over where he had been resting, he saw that the man was still there, he was awake now, but he hadn’t moved at all. 

“I was waiting for you to wake up so I could say goodbye properly. Didn’t want to wake you, you seemed quite tired,” Philza explained. “I have to get going now, but I’ll be back again in a few days if that’s alright with you?” 

Dream was confused for a moment at Philza asking if it was okay. He didn’t really have to ask. Dream didn’t get much of a choice about his visitors, but the fact that he asked was nice. 

“Okay. Thank you, Philza.” 

When Philza got up, he did it slowly. Dream stayed at his spot on the ground, watching Phil as the lava retreated and he left through the small bridge. The lava returned, and Dream was left alone again, save for a single feather that Dream noticed on the ground near to where Phil had been sitting. He moved over and picked it up. 

It was soft, dark, and had an almost iridescent sheen that caught the light from the lava as Dream turned it. He had never really seen Philza’s wings up close, but he could imagine how nice they would look outside in the day if this one feather looked like the others. 

Dream realized quickly that he would have to hide this from Sam. Even though it wasn’t a threat, he knew Sam wouldn’t let him keep it. 

As he tucked the feather safely between the pages of one of the journals, he found himself eagerly awaiting the next day when Philza would visit. Even though they hadn’t really talked, it was nice to finally just have someone there. He didn’t want to get his hopes up just yet, but Philza seemed genuinely concerned about him, and maybe there would finally be someone to look forward to seeing when the lava retreated to reveal the bridge again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted more Philza adopting Dream and helping him become a better person content, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.  
> I'm still not great at tagging things so if you think I'm missing something lemme know.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and as always I love to hear what you think :]
> 
> Find me on twitter @CaramelKruze


	2. Sympathy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Philza finally visits the prison and realizes that Dream is nowhere close to the person that he remembers. 
> 
> He wants to help him.

Philza had found out about the prison long after Dream had been thrown in it. After they had worked together to destroy the remains of L’manberg, he had distanced himself from everything. Partly because he knew the people of L’manberg would never want to see him again (or at least not any time soon) and partly because he couldn’t bring himself to actually care about what happened to them afterwards. He wanted to put the pain of the city and the destruction it brought behind him. When you lived for as long as he had, it got easier and easier to move past things like that. In his mind, L’manberg was just a couple minutes of an hour. Something that he would think back on for a moment in a century or two. 

About two months after the final fall of L’manberg, Phil had gone to see what people had been doing now. He was flying over on an errand and figured he might as well stop in and see what new life was like there. 

It was mostly the same. There were a lot fewer people though. 

He had found out that Tubbo and a few others had decided to go and build a new town; Snowchester, it was called. Even people from the Greater SMP had left to found their own communities. 

But what stuck out the most as he flew over the remains of the once impressive city, was the large imposing, dark building that took up a good portion of the horizon. 

When he got closer, it was easy to tell whatever this building was, it was made to be strong. It was made to look intimidating, and it was made to be completely and utterly secure. Although it looked impressive, Phil couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread when he landed closer to it. 

Out of curiosity he walked to the entrance and found it to be empty, save for a single button on the far wall and a nether portal. He pressed the button and waited for something to happen. Curiosity had always been one of Phil’s weaker points, but he figured if this place were dangerous then it wouldn’t be so out in the open and so well taken care of. 

“Philza?” Sam’s voice rang out from somewhere that Phil couldn’t see. He assumed it was some sort of speaker hidden somewhere. 

“What is this, Sam?” 

A moment later, Sam was walking out of a nether portal. He looked tired. 

“I guess you wouldn’t have seen it finished, huh? It’s been a while.” 

Philza stared at Sam. His mask that he had always worn still covered most of his face; Phil wasn’t sure he had ever seen him without it. His eyes had always intimidated Phil. They glowed faintly, bright green and pupils that reminded Phil of a cat. It didn’t help that Sam was also extremely tall. 

“It’s a prison. Pandora’s Vault. I watch over it and the prisoner within. Why are you here, Phil?” Sam seemed so serious. Phil remembered a time when he was so friendly and approachable. There was no kindness in Sam’s eyes now, at least not for Phil. 

“A prison? What do you need a prison for?” Phil laughed a little, but when Sam just stared at him with that same emotionless glare, his smile quickly fell. 

“Dream,” came Sam’s simple answer. “He’s been locked in there for two months now, and life has never been better,” Sam said Dream’s name with such malice that it caught Phil off-guard. He knew that people hated Dream for the things he had done, but if it was about blowing up L’manberg then surely Sam should hate Phil just as much. If Dream was in prison for that, then shouldn’t Phil and Techno be right there beside him? He suddenly felt very unwelcome.

“Oh,” was all Philza could say. He wasn’t sure why the idea of Dream being in prison didn’t bring him the same apparent relief that it did Sam or anyone else. 

“If you want to visit him, you’ll have to come another time. I’m not allowing visitors right now. I have somewhere to be, Phil. Goodbye.” Sam said, staring at Phil. Phil realized that he was waiting for Phil to start leaving before he did. It was clear he didn’t want Phil near the prison without him there. “I guess I should warn you too since you wouldn’t know,” Sam started again once they were both back outside. “If anyone messes with that prison, I am obligated to hunt them down and punish them.” 

Sam didn’t even give Phil any time to reply or question him before he was walking away, leaving Philza alone in front of the prison doors. 

Sparing one last look at the prison before he left, Philza couldn’t help but feel bad for Dream. He hadn’t known him well, but from the looks of the building, it didn’t seem like he was having a great time. As Phil launched himself into the air again, he made a promise to himself that he would visit Dream soon. 

He tried to visit Dream several times in the following weeks. Sam kept turning him away if he was even at the prison at all. Phil wondered how the prison was able to function with only one person ever there to watch over Dream. Was Dream just left completely alone? 

* * *

When Sam finally let Philza into the prison, it was nearly a whole month later. 

“There are a few books you need to sign before you go in. I’ll explain more of the rules as we walk after.” 

Philza read each book carefully before signing his name in each of them. All of this precaution seemed kind of dramatic if he was being honest. He was also told to leave all of his belongings in a locker, Sam even going so far as to search him to ensure he wasn’t bringing in anything. 

As they continued further into the prison, Phil started to get more and more concerned. 

The interior of the prison was so dark and unwelcoming, and so confusing. Phil quickly found himself lost, and if Sam hadn’t been there guiding him through it, he was certain he wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere. When they finally came to the end of a small, cramped hallway, they were met with a large archway into a room that seemed to be filled with lava. 

“I’ll start lowering the lava; it will take a few minutes. After that, I’ll let you in to see him and then I’ll lower it again.” Sam went to go pull a lever at the wall and then came back to stand beside Philza as they watched the lava. An uncomfortable silence fell between the two of them. 

“So… why all the lava?” Phil asked in an attempt to fill the silence. 

Sam didn’t look at him. “To make sure he can never get out,” came the answer. “He’s staying in there for as long as I live and then some.” 

Philza furrowed his brow. It seemed awfully harsh. Sam noticed his expression and spoke again. 

“Dream is a monster, Phil. You don’t know what happened before we brought him here. You don’t know what he was going to do. He is a manipulative monster, and the only reason he is alive right now is because killing him would be merciful.” 

Despite the warmth from the lava in front of them, Phil couldn’t help but shiver at what Sam said. 

The lava finally lowered, and Sam motioned for Phil to begin walking across the bridge that led up to a much smaller cell. It was a lot smaller than he expected considering the size of the prison as a whole. He could see Dream as he walked closer, huddled against one of the walls farthest from the entrance. Once he reached the end, the bridge retreated from behind him and the barrier separating Dream and him lowered to allow Philza to walk into the cell. 

“Call for me when you’re done with him,” Sam said before the lava started to fall back down again. 

Dream looked rough, to say the least. It was weird to see him without his mask too. He looked terrified and, if Philza was being honest, kind of pathetic. His hands were shaking and he had seemed to be trying to move even farther away from Phil as he entered the cell. Compared to the last time he had seen Dream, he looked a lot smaller. The Dream he remembered exuded confidence and strength, but this one couldn’t even look at Phil without shaking. 

“Sorry it’s been so long. Sam had been turning people away from visiting for the past month and a half, otherwise, I would have visited a while ago.” Philza did his best to keep his voice steady and soft. Dream was still moving his hands nervously, eyes darting around the room, searching for some sort of threat. Philza had seen this kind of behaviour in trapped animals; never in Dream. When Dream didn’t say anything, Philza tried to coax him into talking again. “How have you been doing then? Write any books yet?” 

When Dream still remained silent, Philza frowned slightly. That wasn’t like him at all. Even from before the fall of L’manberg, Dream had loved talking. He didn’t like silence and would always attempt to fill it with some sort of small talk. 

“You used to be a lot more talkative. What’s up, mate?” 

When Dream only stared at the ground near Phil with that same horrible fear etched into his face, Phil realized he was going to have to try his best to look non-threatening. He moved to sit down, doing his best to do so slowly, but he didn’t miss the way Dream flinched like he was preparing for Phil to attack him. He could tell Dream was doing his best to hide his fear, and Phil was happy to finally hear Dream say something. 

“Just haven’t had anyone to talk to in a while…” Dream’s voice sounded so much different now, and it hurt Philza to hear. It sounded so broken and sad. “Why are you visiting me?” Dream had asked. Phil must have made a face because Dream rushed to add, “ not that I don’t appreciate it, I do, it’s just that I- I don’t understand.” 

“I figured you would appreciate someone to talk to or at the least have someone to hang out with for a bit. Can’t be too nice in here being alone all the time. Sam isn’t the best conversationalist.” Phil was smiling, but he saw the way that Dream’s chest began rising and falling a bit quicker and how he quickly looked towards the lava at the mere mention of Sam. Phil couldn’t understand why Dream would have such a strong reaction to him. Sure, Sam was the main thing standing between Dream and freedom, but it was more than that. Dream seemed genuinely scared of Sam. 

“Thank you.” Dream murmured. He gave Philza one last wary glance before he sank to the ground as well. 

Phil closed his eyes and let his head rest against the obsidian behind him. He wanted Dream to feel safe with Phil here. He wanted Dream to trust him. He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to protect Dream. That was ironic in a way, considering Sam had said that Dream was in here to protect everyone else, but Phil just couldn’t believe that was the case. 

When Phil opened his eyes again, he was met with a sleeping Dream. Even in sleep, he looked on-edge. 

What could have happened in this small cell to change Dream in such a drastic manner? 

Phil looked around the room. It was plain enough, a touch too small for Philza though, which meant for Dream it had to have been tiny given the boy’s height. It was also very dark to the point where even the lava didn’t help much. There was at least a bed, but it didn’t look like it got much use. Phil didn’t blame him, it looked to be about as comfortable as the obsidian floor he sat on. There was a cauldron full of water too, but from the looks of it, it was stagnant and likely tasted awful. The only other thing was the chest that had a few books laying on the top of it, and a small item frame on the wall that held nothing in it. All things considered, being locked in here alone for months didn’t sound pleasant, but it still didn’t explain the way that Dream cowered whenever Philza so much as looked at him. 

Phil let Dream sleep. He looked like he needed it. 

He only slept for twenty minutes. He looked more at ease as he yawned and rubbed his eyes, but he still jumped a little bit when he realized Phil was still there. 

“I was waiting for you to wake up so I could say goodbye properly. Didn’t want to wake you, you seemed quite tired. I have to get going now, but I’ll be back again in a few days if that’s alright with you?” 

Dream looked like he was still trying to make sense of what was going on but eventually nodded. “Okay, Thank you, Philza.” 

Phil made to get up, trying to go slow enough so he wouldn’t upset Dream. He tried not to pay attention to the look on Dream’s face as he watched the lava slowly recede, letting Phil make his way back towards Sam. 

“Sam?” Philza started as they made their way back to the entrance. Sam hummed in response. 

“Is it just you taking care of him?” Phil asked. 

Sam scoffed, and Phil didn’t like how he felt as though he knew the answer. 

“I wouldn’t say I ‘take care of him, but I am the only one who guards the prison, yes. I make sure he stays alive would be a better way to put it.” 

Phil had never known Sam to be a vindictive person, but the way he talked about Dream was unsettling, and it wasn’t helping alleviate the concerns Phil had about why Dream seemed so scared of anyone who came close to him. 

“Goodbye, Philza,” Sam said after Phil had grabbed his items from the locker room and they stood at the doors of the prison. Phil couldn’t help but feel like it was a threat. 

“I’ll be back.” He promised. 

He had told Dream he would come back to see him again, and if he had to fight Sam to do so, he wouldn’t hesitate. 

Sam merely glared at him, before turning back around and heading back into the prison. 

Philza had to get Dream out of there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so I just wanted to say thank you for the kudos and such :]  
> This is the most engagement I've gotten on a work in such a short amount of time and it's really motivating to see that. 
> 
> I'm really excited for some future chapters I have planned, y'all have no idea :]
> 
> Thanks again for reading <3


	3. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Philza returns to offer Dream a chance. 
> 
> Dream wants to take it so badly but he doesn't think he deserves to.

True to his word, Philza returned a day later. 

When the lava retreated, Dream found himself excited for a moment. Sure enough, Phil was there waiting, and even though the sight of Sam beside him made Dream’s stomach drop for a moment, he knew somehow that he would be fine if Philza was here. 

“Hello again, Dream.” Philza smiled as he walked in. 

Dream did his best not to shake this time, but he couldn’t help the fear that seemed to be ingrained into his bones now. Despite that, he didn’t shy away from him this time, but he was still on the far end of the cell from him much like last time. 

“Hello, Phil.” 

Dream was conflicted. He wanted to feel safe here with Phil. Phil had never hurt him before. Phil hadn’t even raised his voice at him, but part of his mind just couldn’t let his guard down. He had to be ready, just in case. 

“I brought you something,” Phil said, reaching into one of the pockets of his large coat. 

Dream stared at him incredulously.  _ He brought something?  _ He knew Sam never let anyone bring anything in ever, it was too dangerous. Suddenly Dream was so nervous that this was a trap of some kind, some sort of test to see if Dream would follow the rules. Philza noticed his concern, quickly explaining himself. 

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing dangerous. You won’t get in trouble, I talked to Sam already. I just thought it would be a nice change.” As Philza spoke, he slowly held out his hand for Dream to see the contents. 

It was a handful of small berries. Dream recognized them as the same sweet, red ones that he used to snack on all the time before. His stomach growled. It had been a while since he had eaten, the potatoes weren’t exactly full of flavour, and the idea of finally getting a fruit again was very enticing. And yet, despite his excitement at the small berries, he found himself frozen in place, unable to come closer to Phil. 

Phil just smiled at him. “I could leave them on the chest or the bed for you if you wanted.” He offered, understanding that Dream might not want to come near the winged man. 

“No, it's fine. I can-... just give me a minute.” Dream did his best to slow his breathing. Steadying his hands, he took a few steps forward to Phil who was waiting with his hands outstretched so Dream wouldn’t have to get too close to him. He appreciated it, and once he had taken the berries with a shaky hand, he quickly turned back around and sat on the floor like he had the first day Phil visited. Phil did the same. 

Dream stared at the berries in his palm. They looked fresh, and when he finally popped one into his mouth, he swore he could have cried. They were just like he had remembered them, sweet and refreshing. Philza watched him as he finished them, happy to see him eating something. 

They fell into a comfortable silence again, and Dream realized how nice it was to just be near someone again. It also helped that with Philza here, he knew that Sam couldn’t do anything. Philza’s presence was the only thing protecting Dream from Sam, and for that he was grateful. He found himself absent-mindedly rubbing at his wrist where a bruise was steadily forming from the day before. Philza’s eyes followed the movement. 

“So, how have you been, Dream?” 

“I’m okay,” was his simple answer. He wasn’t sure what else to say. Of course, he wasn’t having a great time here, but he worried about the consequences he could face if he mentioned anything. Clearly, Philza could tell though; it wasn’t exactly easy to hide the bruises that were slowly fading across his face. 

Philza sighed. Dream worried for a moment that he had made a mistake somehow, but Phil spoke before he could get too concerned. “I’m going to try and get Sam to let you out.” 

Dream felt like the air had been forcibly knocked out of his lungs. 

“What?” he whispered. 

“Being in here isn’t going to help you in any way. It’s just to make the people out there feel like they’ve achieved ‘justice’. You deserve help, Dream, and you’re not going to get that in here.” 

It didn’t make sense to Dream. He deserved to be in here. He deserved to be treated the way he was… didn’t he? But the look on Philza’s face seemed to say otherwise. Phil looked upset, and Dream couldn’t comprehend the idea that someone would have any semblance of pity for him. 

“Why?” He rasped, struggling to get the air into his lungs. 

Philza looked so saddened by Dream’s simple question. He didn’t like seeing Phil look at him like that. 

“Phil… Phil, you don’t mean that. Phil, I need to be in here. I need to be punished for what I did. I need to stay here, and I need to hurt. I deserve it.” Dream used to be so certain of that fact, but the way Philza spoke to him filled him with sudden doubt. 

“No, Dream, you need to learn to be better. You need to be helped, not tortured.” Philza looked so determined, it made Dream’s chest ache. “Now I can’t guarantee anything, but I’m going to try as hard as I can to get you out of here, okay? I promise.” Dream almost thought it was a joke, but Philza’s eyes held no mirth. 

“Philza…” Dream started, unsure of what to say. He wanted to leave. He wanted to get out so badly, but he had spent the last three months being told that he deserved to be here. He hugged his knees to his chest. 

“I’ll be back again tomorrow to talk to Sam. I’m going to help you, Dream, if you will let me.” 

“Okay. Okay… Thank you, Phil.” Dream felt his voice break, but he couldn’t care. The idea that there was a chance to get out… Dream had never liked to get his hopes up, but the thought of breathing in the fresh air again, seeing the sun, moon, and stars… he wanted to be optimistic so badly. But what about everyone else? There was no way that they would allow it to happen. Sam had told him that as long as he lived, Dream wasn’t going to see the light of day again. Even Sapnap and George probably wanted him stuck there. He wasn’t sure how Philza was going to change the minds of everyone else. 

Regardless, Philza had given him hope. 

As he watched Philza leave again, he couldn’t help the excitement that bubbled in his chest. 

He did wonder, though, what would he do if he actually got out of the prison? The idea of even leaving, although exciting, made his knees feel weak and his heart quicken. What if he got out and Sam decided to finally just kill him? Or even Tommy? Honestly, Dream would let them, not that he could fight back anyways. He was so weak now that he wasn’t even sure he would be able to walk more than ten minutes without needing rest. Was Philza just going to get him out and then leave him for dead? Maybe the whole thing was a ploy; some sick game where they would hunt him down to see who could find him first. Give him a few weeks head start and then rush to find him and deliver the killing blow. 

No. No, Phil wouldn’t do that… would he? 

He had thought Sam was a kind person when he had met him too but look at him now. Dream’s ribs still hurt from a few days ago. 

Did Philza even know what Dream had done? Sure, he had worked together with Phil to blow up L’manberg, that he obviously knew about, but did he know about the exile? Did he know about his base with the discs and so many of the belongings of the people of the SMP? Did he know about how he almost killed Tubbo? 

Dream suddenly felt nauseous. What if Phil found out tomorrow when he talked to Sam and then stopped showing up? Dream had only just begun to look forward to seeing Phil, he didn’t want to lose that. Dream found his fingers nervously grasping at his hair that had grown so long since the beginning of his sentence. He could feel the tears running down his face, but his sobs sounded far away. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

He didn’t realize he had grabbed the feather until he found himself staring at it, still huddled into himself, against the wall, dragging in laboured breaths. 

He focused on the patterns and the way it shimmered when he turned it. 

Everything would be okay. Even if he didn’t get out, everything would be okay. Dream had been okay for this long, he would be okay for as long as it took. 

Eventually, his breathing evened out. He felt completely drained.

After putting the feather back into the safety of the pages, he found himself pulling himself into the small bed for the first time in weeks. This time, Dream actively sought out sleep, instead of waiting for exhaustion to take him. 

Everything would be okay because Philza had promised him as much. 

* * *

As Philza left the prison that day, he knew it was going to be a big task. Getting Dream out of that prison was going to be difficult, but he knew he had to try. He saw how broken Dream was now, and he felt the need to protect him. If that meant fighting the entire server, then he would gladly do it, if only to give the boy a chance. 

Phil wondered if anyone else had ever visited Dream, or if they had all just locked him away and forgotten about him. If they knew how he was now, would they agree with Phil? He knew that if he wanted to potentially get Dream out of there, he was going to have to convince everyone else too. He thought about who he could ask to vouch for him. 

Sapnap and George were easily the first ones that Phil had thought of. They had known Dream before he had lost himself, and they could probably be convinced to help Phil win Sam over, especially if they found out about Dream’s treatment there, or at least Philza hoped that would be enough to sway them. Puffy was also a strong choice since she had looked after Dream so often. 

Phil really wanted this to work. He didn’t want to see Dream in there any longer than he had to, he didn’t trust Sam in the slightest. Even at the current moment, concern for Dream’s well-being sat at the back of his mind. 

He was going to come tomorrow and bring up the idea to Sam. 

He was willing to watch over Dream forever if it would convince him to let him go with Phil. Truth be told, Phil had already even cleared a room at his home for Dream. He was ready to take full responsibility for him, and he wasn’t going to rest until he had exhausted every option to do so. 

He was going to make sure Dream was okay because he had promised him as much. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeing all of your comments absolutely makes my day, chances are if you've commented I have thought about it all day and it makes me smile :] thank you all so much <3 
> 
> Chapter updates might slow down a little after this (and by slow down I mean I'll probably get in the groove of posting one update every week). I'll probably try and post updates on either Wednesday's or Friday's :p


	4. Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A second chance is not something that comes without risk.

“Are you fucking insane?” Sam stared at Phil incredulously. This was already not going well. 

“I’m completely serious, Sam. Keeping him in there isn’t going to change anything.” Sam had his hand on his sword, but Phil remained unfazed. 

“He’s in there to protect us. This is not up for debate, he’s not leaving. Ever.” Phil noticed the smoke that began to roll out of Sam’s mask, a tell-tale sign of his growing anger. Most people would grow concerned at the warden’s demeanour, but Phil stood his ground. 

“Sam, he’s a shell of a person. That isn’t even Dream anymore. He’s barely strong enough to walk.” Phil did his best to quell the growing frustration in his chest. “If you will let me take him home, I’ll look after him,-” Sam cut him off before he could finish.

“Absolutely not. Phil, leave.” 

“Sam, I will make sure he stays with me. If he doesn’t, you have full permission to-” 

“Leave. Now, Phil.” Sam had finally drawn his sword and had it pointed directly at Phil’s neck. Phil stood his ground. 

“Sam. Keeping him in here so you can enact whatever punishment you see fit isn’t going to change anything. It’s not going to undo what he did to Tommy, it’s not going to undo the hurt he’s caused everyone else. All it’s going to do is make you feel like you’ve done something good, but I will tell you right now, Sam, that you haven’t.” Phil felt the sword press into his neck slightly. He wasn’t worried. “How can you do all of this and think you’re still some righteous saviour?” Phil finally felt some of the anger that had been steadily building bubble over. 

Sam’s grip on his blade faltered momentarily, and Phil took the opportunity to continue pushing his point. 

“All I’m asking is that you let him out and let him come with me. You don’t even have to see him again. If anything happens and he gets away from me, you have full permission to come and kill me. Sam, I am willing to put my life on the line for him, you have to understand this.” 

Sam finally dropped his sword from Phil’s neck, heaving a sigh as put it back into the sheath at his hip. 

“Phil. Leave.” 

“This isn’t up to just you, Sam. You can’t play judge, jury, and executioner. Let’s gather everyone up and discuss it as a group. I’m not asking anymore.” 

Phil could tell Sam was at the end of his patience, but he wasn’t going to give in. 

“Gather people then. See if any of them even give a shit,” Sam practically hissed before turning around to walk further into the prison. 

Phil sighed in relief. This was progress. Now, he actually had a fighting chance in getting Dream out. All that was left was the task of actually finding people to argue on behalf of Dream, which wasn’t going to be as easy as Phil had hoped. 

* * *

Sam stalked his way down the halls, smoke pouring from the sides of his mask. 

Phil had no clue what he was doing. 

_ ‘It’s not going to undo what he did to Tommy.’  _

Phil knew what Dream had done. He knew what he did, and yet he still wanted to help Dream. He didn’t care about Tommy. Dream deserved everything that had happened to him since he was thrown into that cell. He deserved to rot in that cell for the rest of his miserable life. 

Sam remembered the way Tommy had sobbed into his chest that night when he told him everything that Dream had done. The way that he still couldn’t enter plains biomes without his legs feeling weak. The way he couldn’t stand small spaces anymore. Dream had hurt Tommy so horribly, and Phil was dead wrong if he thought Sam was going to let him go so easily. He was going to keep Tommy safe as long as he could. As long as Sam was alive, he was going to do everything he could to keep Tommy safe and keep Dream far away from him. 

There was no way that the others were going to agree with Phil. They couldn’t. 

* * *

Phil returned far quicker than Sam had wanted or anticipated. He was back before the sun had begun to set, and had a small group behind him. 

“I’ve talked to everyone already, Sam. They agree with me.” 

Sam scoffed. 

“You’re joking.” He stared into the small group. Unsurprisingly George and Sapnap were there, but seeing Puffy was unexpected. Most surprising though, was Ranboo and Tubbo, the first of the two who looked exceptionally nervous. “You can’t actually tell me that you all want to let him out.” 

“Nobody else cared.” The look Phil gave him was infuriating. “And if they didn’t care, then clearly they aren’t worried about this ‘monster’ you claim he is.” 

“That’s because they don’t know what he’s done!” Sam saw how the others stared at him as he shouted, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. They were actually trying to get Dream out of prison. “Do all of you understand what you’re doing?” 

“We’ve already discussed everything, Sam,” Sapnap started. “We agree with Phil. Dream can’t change if he’s just locked up in there alone.” George nodded in agreement. 

“Sam, we understand that it’s your job to keep us safe, but we really don’t think we have anything to worry about. If Phil is looking after him, then there isn’t much Dream can do anyways,” Puffy explained. Sam knew there was nothing he could say at this point to change any of their minds. He wondered if they had even asked Tommy about it. There was no way they had, Tommy would have been livid. 

“Fine. But when he fucks up again and hurts everyone, do not come begging me for help.” 

“You can trust me, Sam, if anything happens, I will take full responsibility,” Phil said. He seemed so confident, and Sam truly believed he was a fool. 

“Let’s establish some rules before I let him out. Walk with me, Phil; the rest of you stay out here or go home.” The others stayed, whispering amongst themselves as Phil and Sam began to walk through the prison that Phil had begun to know well. 

“Here is my part of the deal, you take him far away from here. He is not allowed anywhere near here, or Snowchester, or anywhere without you there with him. If I ever find him and you’re not around, I kill him and then I kill you. If I ever come to check on you guys and you’ve let him get away, I kill you, and then I hunt him down next. Understand? And if he ever shows any urge for violence or behaviour like he had before he was locked up, you need to tell me, and then we put him back in here. He gets one chance, and one chance only.” 

They came to the cell room again, but this time there was a lot more tension in the air than any of the other times that they had been together. 

“You know what he did to Tommy, but you still pity him,” Sam said, tone absolutely scathing. Phil didn’t bother looking at him. 

“I’m not worried about what he did. He’s not like that anymore, and that’s what matters. I know that you’ve punished him enough already.” Phil did his best to voice his distaste with the word ‘punished’. Sam snapped his head towards Phil, gaze angry and unwavering. His eyes were so bright that they lit up the smoke that billowed out of the mask. He could hear faint hissing, and for once, Phil actually found himself just a little bit scared of the man in front of him. 

“Your own fucking son, Phil. He did all of that shit to your own son and you’re just ready to let all of that go because you think he’s all  _ sad _ and  _ misunderstood.  _ You are spineless, and I honestly hope this comes back to haunt you.” Phil was not a short man, but Sam towered over him now, and his height made him seem much more intimidating. 

Phil stood his ground, and Sam turned back to the lava that was no longer falling. Phil took the opportunity to make his way across the bridge. 

When he made it to the actual cell room, Dream was waiting by the corner, visibly shaking. He must have heard the shouting. Upon seeing Phil though, he looked a bit more at ease, but he still glanced over Phil’s shoulder to where Sam stared at them. 

“Dream, I talked to Sam and some other people.” Phil was smiling. “Now there are a few rules that you’ll have to follow, but we’ve agreed that you can leave the prison.” 

Dream looked shocked. Despite Philza telling him that was his plan, he hadn’t gotten his hopes up that it would actually work. Phil could tell that he wanted to smile.

“Are you-... are you serious?” 

“There are a few rules like I said, but yes, Dream. I promised you I was going to do everything I could to get you out of here. Managed to do it a bit faster than I thought I would, but I didn’t want to keep you in here any longer than I had to.” 

Dream was staring at the ground. He couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. 

“You’ll have to stay with me, but I promise you there’s more than enough room and you’ll still be able to have some privacy. We can leave whenever you want if you aren’t quite ready to go just yet-” Phil stopped abruptly as Dream suddenly threw his arms around him and buried his face in his shoulder. Phil could feel Sam’s eyes on the back of his head as Dream hugged him. 

“Phil, thank you so much.” Dream was doing his best to keep his voice steady. “I can’t begin to thank you enough.” When Dream let Phil go, he could see the tears forming in Dream’s eyes that he had already figured would be there. 

“It’s fine, mate. Come on, let’s go, it's a bit of a big trip home.” 

* * *

Dream, as happy as he was to leave the cell, hesitated when he saw Sam waiting at the end of the bridge. The last time he had seen Sam that angry was when he had almost killed Dream that night, and quite frankly, Dream never wanted to experience that ever again. But Phil was here, and Phil took one of his wings and draped it protectively over Dream’s shoulder. It was a small gesture, but he found immense comfort in the action. This time, when Philza went to leave, Dream moved with him. 

“Dream, this is the only chance you’re getting,” Sam started as they moved through the hallways. Dream found himself moving closer to Phil as the warden spoke. “There is one major rule, and if you fail to follow it, I will hunt you down and ensure your death is nothing close to swift and far from painless. You are to stay with Philza. If I find you without him, I kill him and you; not that anyone else's lives have ever mattered much to you anyways.” Dream felt Philza pull his wing a bit tighter around Dream. Looking over at Phil, he saw that he was staring at Sam as he walked in front of them, expression unreadable. “Do you understand this, Dream?” Sam turned around, and Dream resisted the urge to cower. 

“Yes,” he replied meekly.

When they finally reached the doorway to leave the prison, Dream found himself worried again. What was going to be waiting for him outside? Was this whole thing a ruse? Was it just some scheme set up by Sam so that Dream could get just a taste of freedom only to die before he could actually have it? Dream doubted it because, with the way Sam looked at Philza, Dream could tell he wasn’t happy with Dream’s release. 

Philza opened the door for the two of them, and Dream brought his hands to his face to attempt to shield his eyes from the sudden light. After being in there for the past three months, his eyes had grown used to the dark and the sun that was only just beginning to set was still incredibly bright. When his eyes finally adjusted, he noticed all of the people standing there waiting, watching him intently. None of them looked angry or like they were about to hurt him, but he still felt the urge to run. George and Sapnap looked like they felt bad, but Ranboo and Tubbo looked mildly scared. Seeing Tubbo after everything he had done to him and Tommy made Dream feel like he was going to be sick. Puffy looked like she wanted to cry. 

He couldn’t even say that he was happy to see any of these people again. Seeing them now was just a reminder of how much he had hurt them. He was almost leaning into Philza’s side at this point. 

“Thank you for helping, everyone. I know it wasn’t an easy decision to make, but I promise you that I’ll take care of him. You all know where I live and you can come visit sometime, but for now, I think it would be best to not overwhelm him with any conversation so we’re going to go home.” Philza explained to the group. They muttered their agreements and said their goodbyes, all of their gazes lingering on Dream for a few moments before finally taking their leave. 

“Goodbye, Sam,” Philza said without turning around to face him.

Sam didn’t give a reply and simply walked back into the prison. 

Dream finally took a minute to take in the nature around him. It felt odd walking along the soft ground after having nothing but the hard obsidian beneath his feet for so long. But what Dream had missed the most, was the soft breeze and fresh air. 

“Ready to go?” Philza was smiling at him. 

Dream could only nod, too full of emotion to do much else. 

Phil never took his wing from where it rested comfortably around Dream, and for that, Dream was grateful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support, seeing all the comments and kudos means the world to me and I really appreciate all of you <3   
> A bit of a late update, got busy with school and such.   
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter :]

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted more Philza adopting Dream and helping him become a better person content, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.  
> I's still not great at tagging things so if you think I'm missing something lemme know.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and as always I love to hear what you think :] 
> 
> Find me on twitter @CaramelKruze


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